During summertime, children enjoy abundant leisure time for play while parents are busily occupied with work. Consequently, ensuring children’s safety requires even greater care from families alongside the partnership of mass organizations and local authorities.

In many highland communes across Điện Biên province, dissemination efforts and summer activity programs are being actively deployed to ensure children enjoy a safe and rewarding summer.

In Phình Giàng commune, home primarily to Hmông and Thái ethnic communities, parents spend their days working on hillside fields, leaving limited time for child supervision. During summer vacations, children often stay home with grandparents or older siblings, or play unsupervised. This period carries heightened risks of accidents and injuries, particularly near rivers and streams.

Recognizing this reality, the Women’s Union of Phình Giàng commune has visited individual villages to disseminate and guide members in elevating their sense of responsibility regarding child care and management. Contents focus on preventing children from swimming in rivers, streams, ponds, and lakes on their own; reminding children to observe traffic safety regulations; guiding safe electricity usage and fire prevention; and building skills to handle dangerous situations.

Hằng Y A, Chairwoman of the Phình Giàng commune Women’s Union, stated: “Most female members are busy with agricultural production, making summer child management challenging and irregular. Our Women’s Union steps up dissemination so every family proactively builds a habit of reminding and monitoring their children daily, while encouraging parents to enroll children in local summer clubs and activities rather than leaving them to play unsupervised. The Union has conducted dissemination to women members across all 14 out of 14 villages, contributing to raising family awareness regarding child accident and injury prevention during the summer.”

As a mother of two young children, Sùng Thị Mua from Tin Tốc village, Phình Giàng commune, consistently cares for and cautions her children before heading to the field each morning. For her, these simple reminders serve as a way for her children to develop self-protection awareness.

Sùng Thị Mua shared: “During the summer, my children are off from school, so parents need to show more care. Before leaving for work, I always remind them to stay home, behave well, avoid going down to the stream to play, and never follow friends without asking permission. When I have spare time, I take my children to participate in village activities so they can play and learn valuable lessons.”

If the family serves as the first shield protecting children, local summer activities contribute to shaping an environment where children can play, practice life skills, and stay away from potentially hazardous areas.

In Nghịu village, Thanh Nưa commune, a summer activity session organized by the Commune Youth Union attracted a large number of children. Interspersed among folk games were dissemination sessions covering drowning prevention, children’s rights, emergency handling skills, and self-protection methods during summer break. Youth Union members aimed not only to help children memorize safety principles, but also to build the habit of consulting parents before going out and avoiding dangerous areas without adult supervision.

Lò Quang Thắng, a child from Nghịu village, shared: “Through the summer activity session, I learned why I should not go to rivers or streams to play on my own or swim in pools without adults present. The older brothers and sisters also guided us on how to handle dangerous situations and reminded us to inform our parents before going anywhere. I will follow these instructions to protect myself and remind my friends to do the same.”

Currently, the Thanh Nưa commune Youth Union manages nearly 7,000 children participating in summer activities across 37 villages and hamlets. Youth volunteer teams are maintained on weekends, organizing activities tailored to each area, particularly in border villages.

Nguyễn Anh Sơn, Secretary of the Thanh Nưa commune Youth Union, stated: “Summer activities are organized every Saturday and Sunday with various contents suited to each locality. Alongside games, we focus on disseminating skills to prevent drowning and injuries, teaching children’s rights, reminding children not to wander into dangerous areas, and guiding them on how to protect themselves to ensure a safe summer.”

Market and field reality demonstrates that most child accidents and injuries stem from adult subjective neglect or lack of supervision. Therefore, alongside the involvement of all administrative levels, sectors, and mass organizations, each family needs to dedicate more time to conversing with, guiding, and monitoring their children’s daily activities.

Every cautionary word from parents before heading to the fields, every phone call asking where a child is, and every effort to enroll children in local summer programs contribute to mitigating risks. When families, schools, and society join hands, the summer break becomes a time for highland children to play, experience growth, and thrive within a safe environment.